Sanibel Flats

Doc Ford #1

By: Randy White

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Its cool gulf breezes lured him from a life of danger. Its dark undercurrents threatened to destroy him. After 10 years of living life on the edge, it was hard for Doc Ford to get that addiction to danger out of his system. But spending each day watching the sun melt into Dinkins Bay and the moon rise over the mangrove trees, cooking dinner for his beautiful neighbor, and dispensing advice to the locals over a cold beer lulled him into letting his guard down.

Then Rafe Hollins appeared. How could he refuse his old friend's request---even if it would put him back on the firing line? Even if it would change forever the life he'd built here on Sanibel Island?

The doctor is in: listen to more of our Doc Ford thrillers.©1990 Randy Wayne White (P)2010 Tantor

Not his best work

What made the experience of listening to Sanibel Flats the most enjoyable?

Okay, so I am an admitted Doc Ford fanantic. I started reading his books a couple of years ago at the library and kind of read them out of order. The first books in the series I never had a chance to read. So this book was good....But the narrator that does this book is not the caliber of the narrator of the more recent books. The story was good, but I ache for the more mature and seasoned writing style he shows in his later books. Still I don't regret getting the book, I wish he would churn out more books!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the book was seeing Doc Ford in love with the woman in Masagua. I've met people like Doc Ford, who had a heart broken and never was able to feel this way again. The least interesting was the reappearance of Doc's childhood friend...Raif I think. That part of the book was predictable and inconsequential to the story.

Just discovered a new favorite!

I love to read books that are set in the same area I am traveling, so during a recent trip to Tampa my search turned up the Doc Ford series. I went back and found the first in the series and was not disappointed! I am downloading the second in the series today and am excited to listen to them all.

Make a movie already!

Doc Ford never lets me down. RWW was a great author to find and I thank you for your work.

The reader was awful

I read all of the Doc Ford books years ago and loved them…thought I’d listen to a few. But I can’t finish this because the reader is first of all too old, and sounds like a Jersey wise guy. You’re in south gulf coast Florida and every character has an east coast accent? Except one Aussie? No just no, this isn’t Miami. Tomlinson sounded like a whiny junkie instead of a laid back philosophizing hippy. This was a big miss.

wish the hero were more of a hero

main character is wishy-washy with the women in the book, i.e. thinking about getting serious, vs. a one night stand in the same evening. Not bad for a casual weekend read.

Fantastic Ending

When I started this book, I had high hopes. I winter in Ft. Myers Beach and the Sanibel area. At first I was bitterly disappointed. Not sure if it was the narrator or the story line. But by the second part, I was hooked. The ending left me smiling and hoping the 2nd book continues on.

interesting story line.

The twist on the normal story of the amateur sleuth was very good. nicely done

sandals the best

can't wait to go back to Sanibel Island and hang out at doc Ford's, Randy just makes everything real.

Sanibel Flats

I love all of RWW books. I’ve been reading them since the early 90’s, now I get to listen to them, but I’ve started over from the beginning. A great travel companion.

A+++ South Florida Adventure

I really enjoyed this book, it was pretty much a dream line-up of plot elements: a secret agent (even if retired), south florida, central america, mayan history, revolutionaries, marine biology, and even a little painting.

I found it to be well written, and the twist at the end surprised me, which these days doesn't happen often. Doc Ford is a likeable character, super smart, funny, interesting, and the descriptions of Sanibel and sea life are wonderful. A++!

*On a side note, which has nothing to do with the author or the story, which I found to be top quality--I listened to the audio version, and I utterly loathed the narrator's performance. Look, I know it's not easy to embody several different characters with one voice, but geeze he butchered it. His voice didn't fit with the character of Doc, his interpretation of Tomlinson was very annoying, and any of the female voices were pure characacture. I intend to read this again sometime, and will continue with this series, but I will definitely go the old school paper route.